


Gentle & Unruly

by Avatarannaley



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Gangsters, Falling In Love, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Smut, Love/Hate, M/M, Multi, True Love, University AU, bokuroo - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-02-12
Updated: 2016-03-04
Packaged: 2018-05-19 19:31:46
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 11,455
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5978613
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Avatarannaley/pseuds/Avatarannaley
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Kuroo hopes to have the time of his life at University. Leaving his family behind, Kuroo believes he's off to a good start after securing the best dorm in the block. However, it appears that they may have been a miscommunication at admin for feisty, reckless and somewhat rude student Bokuto Koutarou believes the room to be his. Both as stubborn as each other and with the room only having one bed; Kuroo and Bokuto battle it out through a series of legendary pranks and dares to see who is most worthy of Dorm 12. Growing closer and closer as they respect each others tactics and guts, an unlikely bond forms when they have to unite against a common enemy...</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Dorm 12

It was perfection. Well, it was a pit, but it was perfection in any student’s eyes. Kuroo dumped is tattered bag next to the door and placed his hands on his hips. He grinned, he couldn’t have been luckier with this one. Sure the carpet was stained, sure the walls had various holes in them, and yeah sure- just about every object in the room has either a scratch or a dent; but none of that mattered to Kuroo. It was small; cosy… the window wasn’t in direct sunlight so he would be able to lie in without nature being rude or have any painful reminders that he was severely hung-over. It was on the second floor so he wouldn’t have to hear everyone drunkenly falling through the door, but he wasn’t fucked if the elevator stopped working either. Good heating, a private bathroom and one bed- so it was obvious Kuroo would have this paradise all to himself. This room had character, this room had some history- Kuroo knew that this room would become the beckon for trouble in his time at University, and that’s exactly what he wanted.  
Kenma emerged from around the corner and stood with Kuroo at the door, his eyes lifted from his phone for a second.  
“It’s a pit”  
Kuroo laughed and hooked his arm around his little brother “Ah Kenma, you can’t be so quick to judge!”  
“Yes I can, there isn’t one bit of the carpet that isn’t stained”  
Kuroo chuckled and tighten the grip on his brother. Kuroo’s chuckle faded as it dawned on him that this was finally it. “Try not to be too sad about this, okay?” he said softly.  
The only response Kuroo got from Kenma was a slightly increased tapping on his phone. Adopted at a young age, this is the first time the brothers had been truly separated. It was worrying their mothers’ sick. Kuroo turned as he heard tiny footsteps rushing up the steps, his mum appeared holding far more of Kuroo’s bags than she was clearly able to carry. Her thin blonde hair that was usually tied back had become undone, covering her face and making her appear even more flustered. That was something which Kuroo thought was impossible, since she had basically not stopped crying since they first got in the car to make the 4 hour trip here.  
Instantly upon seeing Kuroo’s arms around Kenma she dropped all the bags and let out a loud wail. Running up to her boys and hugging them, having to make an extra effort to tackle Kuroo who was a giant in comparison. “Try not to be too sad about this, Kenma!” she blubbered out. “Your brother will call you every day!” she cried and released her two sons from her death grip of love to grab a tissue out of her pocket. “The important thing is too remain strong!” she tried to reassure Kenma while dabbing the tears off her cheeks.  
“He’ll be fine Ma” Kuroo said while placing both his hands on their shoulders. He looked down and smiled at Kenma “We know our Kenma’s strong” She let out another wail and desperately searched for another tissue, Kenma took one out of his pocket and handed it to his inconsolable mother without his eyes leaving his phone. This had become a daily occurrence for the Hitoka-Kiyoko family in the week leading up to Kuroo’s departure.  
“Yachi, dear, please I don’t think this is helping” a soft voice spoke from the end of the corridor. Shimizu was now carrying the bags Yachi had abandoned at the end of the hallway “you’re probably frightening the other students.”  
As Kuroo and Kenma made their way to the end of the hall to help their mother with the final batch of bags, Yachi uttered something indecipherable before blowing her nose into her tissue. “I know but we’ve got to let Kuroo grow up” Shimizu reassured her wife lovingly.  
Kenma and Kuroo looked at each other and smiled; only Shimizu could understand Yachi when she got like this. Dumping the last of the bags into Kuroo’s new found paradise, Shimizu stood in the doorway in-between her two children. Surveying the mess that she could tell Kuroo had already fallen in love with- she gently grasped both her sons’ hands. She looked at Kenma with loving eyes and a kind smile, and squeezed his hand tighter for reassurance. Both being people of few words, Shimizu was truly the best communicator in the family, knowing just what to do to put her loved ones at ease. But today, she was having a hard time keeping the peace within herself.  
Slowly she looked up at Kuroo, her eldest son who was now leaving home. Leaving her and Yachi, leaving his little brother Kenma behind who she knows will be lost without him. Her mind couldn’t help but wander back to the first day they brought Kuroo and Kenma home. Kuroo was always getting into fights protecting Kenma, Kuroo was always Kenma’s closest friend- long before her and Yachi came into the picture. Usually Shimizu would recognise that she had to keep a level head in emotional situations, but today she couldn’t allow herself that. Her baby was leaving, her family was changing and she had no idea how to deal with it. She knew Kuroo would grow up; every parent knows that. But what she didn’t know is how she could deal with it. Gripping both her sons’ hands tightly, she slowly turned her head towards Kuroo. She blinked hard as the tears fell from her eyes and perched on her cheeks.  
“We’ll miss you” she uttered from behind a bittersweet smile.  
It was like a spear right through Kuroo’s heart. Kuroo instantly scoped up his family who he towered above. Hugging them all tightly he nestled his head between them and squeezed them with all his might. Holding them in the air for a few seconds, he took a deep breath and let them down. He quickly turned away, as if to try and reclaim his cool which he had so obviously lost.  
“Alright! Now get out of here! You’re not supposed to be the dramatic one!” he shouted while desperately trying to choke back the tears. Turning sharply, Kuroo faced the wall. He knew if he made eye contact in that moment he would have burst into tears too. Yachi clung to his arm and it took Shimizu and Kenma a good few minutes for Kuroo to be released. Yachi now sobbing heavily into her wife’s arm and Kenma having put his phone away- Kuroo braved it and turned around to take one last look at his family. Smiling softly, he realised how weird it’s going to be not waking up them every day, being around them every day. They were leaving him here. Oh god, they were actually going to drive away and not come back. Holy shit. Fuck. He better figure out how to use the microwave.  
Shimizu wiped her eyes with one of Kenma’s tissues “we’ll call you when we get back” she stated timidly, almost seeming embarrassed.  
“Get back safe.” Kuroo replied, snapping out of it.  
“Yeah” Kenma said softly. Kuroo could tell he was emotional, even from that one word. Knowing not to push it any further, Kuroo gently rustled Kenma’s hair. Kenma smiled subtly, it was a smile you really had to look for- but Kuroo knew it was there. Lifting his hand off his brother’s head and into his pockets he took a deep breath.  
“Now just because I’m gone doesn’t mean you need to become the trouble maker of the family- that title still belongs to me.”  
Yachi and Shimizu laughed while Kenma turned away and looked down at the floor. This was getting so difficult. For all of them.  
Kuroo waved goodbye as the family finally decided they should leave before it got too hard. Yachi attempted to yell helpful things down the hallway “Eat friends! Make fruit!” This experience was obviously too much for his poor Ma, she was clearly overwhelmed. Kuroo chuckled again. God, was he going to miss her. He was going to miss everybody.  
Kuroo watched from the window as car drove away, Yachi still yelling things at him through the window, though now he couldn’t even understand what she was saying because she was crying too much between her sentences. Kuroo sat down on the bed and rested his head in his hands. God, that had been heavy. He’d never seen his mother cry like that before; she was usually the objective voice of reason.  
After lying down on the bed, processing what just happened for God knows how long- Kuroo stood up and threw all his bags in a pile. He was a student now, and he had to experience the full lifestyle. He had to live in a mess- it was just what was expected. He glanced at the clock, its screen was smashed but he could still read the time. The fresher’s evening would start soon. That lifted Kuroo’s spirits, because in order to truly experience the student lifestyle, he had to hit the ground running. He planned to get absolutely fucking smashed at this fresher’s party, it was go hard or go home and as much as Kuroo loved his new dorm- he wasn’t about to waste away there.  
“I’ve got to look fucking hot” Kuroo thought to himself as he stood in front of the broken mirror and he it dawned on him that everything in this room is actually busted in some way or another. What kind of monster had used this room before him? Fixing his hair, he knew he still looked good- but he could look even better. Tonight was absolutely crucial. He had to get drunk, and he had to get laid- this was a promise he has made to himself and didn’t fancy breaking it.  
Rummaging through the pile of bags, Kuroo found the perfect outfit. A tight black t shirt that subtly but not so subtly showed off his muscle, and jeans. A simple look, but one that Kuroo felt absolutely confident with. Digging a little deeper into a bag which he thought was hidden, he took out two bottles of vodka with a sticky note attached to them “you better not drink this all by yourself, it’s good to share – Mum”  
Kuroo laughed to himself. Nothing ever got past his parents. Kuroo removed the post it and placed it carefully above his bed. His mother’s hand writing was a nice reminder of home.  
Looking good and feeling it, Kuroo decided to head out to the party. He locked his door, making sure his Paradise 12 was secured and stuffed the keys in his back pocket. Holding the two bottles of vodka in each hand, Kuroo left the block with high hopes, feeling absolutely invincible.  
As he got closer and closer to the venue he encountered more and more of his class mates. All of them were friendly and greeted Kuroo with a smile, a few attempted to engage in small talk whilst sober- which Kuroo thought was crazy.  
After he reached the venue, he knew that saying goodbye to his family was worth it. It was a grand hall, dimly lit with ever changing lights; shifting from a variety of colours, from dark pink to a bright green. The entire floor was absolutely packed with people, girls and boys were dancing the night away stopping only to take shots or acquire more glow sticks. The music was absolutely blaring and Kuroo could feel the base echo through his ribs. People were yelling, girls were crying, and students were running outside to throw up. Kuroo knew he was going to love it here. Wasting no time, Kuroo chugged the vodka straight from the bottle- although he instantly regretted that decision- Kuroo knew he had to catch up with the rest of the fresher’s in order to get this University thing off to a good start.  
In no time at all, Kuroo found his place on the dance floor. Being one of the tallest boys there, girls naturally flocked to him and started decorating him with glow sticks and bangles. The girls looked absolutely amazing, having made extra effort for tonight. Kuroo could tell he was a source of envy amongst the boys, and he loved it. Flashing a smug little smirk to any boy that was attempting give him daggers, Kuroo was having the time of his life and had already accomplished half of the promise he had made to himself.  
One, get absolutely smashed. Check.  
Two, get laid. A work in progress.  
Kuroo scoped the group of girls around him for the one that he would consider to be the ‘lucky one’ of the group. However, with a great amount of alcohol there comes a great need to take a piss every 5 minutes. Kuroo excused himself from the crowd of girls, fully intending to make a quick return and complete his plan of action.  
However, when Kuroo stumbled into the bathroom he was met with a big problem with two tiny little drunks.  
Shocked and confused, Kuroo couldn’t believe how young these two guys looked  
“Are you fukcing 12?” Kuroo asked, obviously concerned about the boy draped over the bathroom sink. He had bright orange hair and honestly looked about 12, this had to be his first time drinking because this little guy clearly didn’t know his limits.  
“No he’s…he’s a dumbass” a separate and defeated voice answered Kuroo from the floor of the cubicle. Staggering over to match a face with the reply, Kuroo thought this guy could pass for 18. He had black hair and a stern expression- so stern he still sorta looked intimidating despite the fact he had vomit down himself. Even though he looked like the drinking age, he was just as fucking helpless as the ginger prick over by the sink.  
Ideally, Kuroo would just have taken his piss and walked out. He would have returned to the dance floor and gone home with a beautiful girl, absolutely sealing the night as a total success. Ideally. Ideally Kuroo would have done that. However, seeing what an absolute state both these children were in- through some weird concoction of good parenting and absolute pity- Kuroo decided he couldn’t leave these two losers in the bathroom like this. It just wasn’t dignified.  
Grabbing both of them by the scruff of the neck, Kuroo dragged them out of the bathroom. Both of them slurred some profanities in protest, Kuroo didn’t give a shit. “I’m helping you twats!” Kuroo shouted back as them as he pulled them across the dance floor towards the exit.  
“Ah! Kuroo baby, you leaving so soon?” a familiar voice from one of his potential one night stands called to him from across the dance floor.  
Glancing over, Kuroo could see the other boys had wasted no time in swooping in. All the girls were now surrounded by a huge group of boys, there was no way Kuroo could get back in there. All this had happened in the short time Kuroo had taken to go to the bathroom, Kuroo knew by the time he took these boys to the nurse that all hope would be truly lost.  
“Fuckin god damn you BRATS!” Kuroo exclaimed tighten his grip on the drunkards collars.  
“Owowooww that hurts!” the ginger one perked up  
“I don’t give it shit! You’ve completely ruined my fuucckin night!” Kuroo retorted, still considerately pissed himself.  
“You don’t have to help us, you bastard.” The black haired one answered calmly, it looked like he was about to pass out.  
Being honestly too drunk to deal with this, Kuroo ignored the complaint and powered through the dance floor finally reaching the exit.  
Stumbling outside, Kuroo dragged the two boys to the nurse’s office. Neither of them put up a fight, but Kuroo himself was having a hard time walking. The situation was close to letting a 6 year old be in charge of two 3 year olds, and it wasn’t going well. Having fallen down numerous times, and the ginger one puking about 4, the trio of drunken mistakes finally made it too the nurse’s office.  
Bursting through the door, Kuroo practically threw the two boys into the medical clinic. Entering dramatically after, Kuroo met eyes with the astonished nurse and claimed  
“These two small children are fucking DRUNK” before turning and exiting the premises just as dramatically has he had entered.  
Knowing the party was still going on, Kuroo decided to head back to Paradise 12. He was pissed off, he was pretty sure he had been pissed on. He knew he was going to be in pain tomorrow since he had fallen down so much trying to escort those two drunken fools. The walk back wasn’t so bad without the two of them too look after, Kuroo managed to make it too his dorm rather quickly considering his own state. Thanking God that the elevator was working so he didn’t have to try and navigate the stairs- Kuroo fished the keys out of his back pocket and tried for a good 20 minutes before he was actually able to unlock the door.  
Slamming it behind him, he stripped down to just his boxers. The room was as dark as fuck, and Kuroo couldn’t see anything. He didn’t need any more injuries after tonight, but he just wanted to crawl up into bed and forget this whole ordeal.  
Risking leaving the lights off, Kuroo stumbled in his room- tripping over items he didn’t even remember placing there. Finally finding the bed, Kuroo lifted up the covers and snuggled in. Mhm. It was warm. Wait. Hang on. It’s warm.  
The lights flicked on and Kuroo found himself face to face with a grey haired stranger. He was met with a pair of bright, intense hazel eyes which were filled with panic.  
Both of them reacted instantly, Kuroo flew backwards off the bed, crashing painfully onto his back among the piles of trash and bags which have now somehow appeared. The owl-eyed stranger stood up and took a deep breath as if too yell, but just ended up slamming his head on the wall which the bed was pressed against.  
“GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH THAT HURTS!” the grey student shouted out while grabbing his own head in an attempt to smooth the pain  
Kuroo couldn’t believe this guy’s volume, he was so loud. Louder than the bass in the club, he was proper belting out his words as if he was singing bohemian rhapsody alone in his car on a Sunday night. Not that Kuroo knew how loud that would be.  
“WHY ARE YOU TRYING TO GET INTO BED WITH ME?!”  
Kuroo was still too drunk to be shouted at, he was having a hard time comprehending this whole situation. There was a long stretch of silence while Kuroo worked out what had actually just happened despite being stared at intensely through his whole thinking process, Kuroo was finally able to answer  
“Why the FUCK are you in my bed?!”  
“YOUR BED?!”  
“YEAH. MY FUCKIN BED!” Kuroo matched his volume has he stood up, appearing more aggressive. “MY NAME IS KUROO, AND YOUR STANDING ON MY FUCKING BEEEEEEEEEEEEED!” Kuroo lunged at the stranger, who was able to easily avoid him on the account of Kuroo still being off his face.  
“HEY HEY HEY CALM DOWN THERE BIG GUY!” The grey claimed, now finding Kuroo quite amusing. Jumping from either side of the bed as Kuroo tried to grab him, the stranger finally hopped down onto the floor.  
He was wearing a skimpy black vest and boxers, he was a little shorter than Kuroo- but he had this presence. Only standing looking at him could Kuroo recognise it. This guy, he was overflowing with energy, with power, but Kuroo didn’t feel threatened. He didn’t know if that was because of the alcohol or if because this guy was just…weird.  
Taking a dramatic stance, the grey stranger smirked. He took a deep intake, gestured to himself and practically screamed. “I’M BOKUTO, AND I’M NOT GONNA GIVE UP THE BEST DORM IN THE BLOCK SO EASILY!”  
Oh, fuCK no.


	2. Pink Kitty Pyjamas

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kuroo hopes to have the time of his life at University. Leaving his family behind, Kuroo believes he's off to a good start after securing the best dorm in the block. However, it appears that they may have been a miscommunication at admin for feisty, reckless and somewhat rude student Bokuto Koutarou believes the room to be his. Both as stubborn as each other and with the room only having one bed; Kuroo and Bokuto battle it out through a series of legendary pranks and dares to see who is most worthy of Dorm 12. Growing closer and closer as they respect each others tactics and guts, an unlikely bond forms when they have to unite against a common enemy...

Kuroo was absolutely stunned. Taking a step back in order to collect himself, Kuroo quickly scanned the room.  
“His room!?” Kuroo thought angrily “There’s no way”  
Kuroo searched for his pile of bags, they were there in the corner where his mum had dumped them hours before. This was definitely without a doubt dorm 12 and he hadn’t made a drunken fuck up. Signing with relief, Kuroo realised he was too pissed and too tired to deal with any of it; but he wasn’t about to let this paradise belong to that grey haired prick standing on the bed. Maybe this guy was somehow drunker than him and he was the one that had made the mistake, maybe there was a way he could resolve this peacefully. Taking a deep breath Kuroo lowered his voice  
“Hey look dude I do-….” Kuroo stared at the intruder, in utter disbelief as he registered what he was wearing  
“IS THAT MY SHIRT?!” Kuroo’s eyes widened as he recognised the pink pyjama shirt with a black kitty on the front. Snapping his head round to check his bags again, Kuroo noticed they had been rummaged through.  
“WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH YOU?!” Kuroo shouted, now at full volume again, grasping his own hair out of desperation. For the first time in this whole situation Bokuto looked startled, nervously backing up against the wall, he was about to quickly fumble an excuse together before Kuroo started screaming again.  
“SERIOUSLY WHO DOES THAT?! WHO JUST HELPS THEM SELVES TO RANDOM BAGS OF LUGGAGE WHICH APPEAR IN THEIR ROOM?! I CAN’T BE-“  
“OHOHO” Bokuto interrupted, returning to his confident stance. “You just admitted it was my room.”  
“…”  
Smiling smugly, Bokuto certainly felt like he’d snatch a victory from Kuroo. “You see, this has been my ro-“  
“I’LL FUCKING KILL YOU!” Kuroo screamed lunging at Bokuto, grabbing him by the scruff of his, sorry, Kuroo’s pink pyjama top. He threw him off the bed and onto the floor, Kuroo was ballistic. NOBODY touches the pink kitty pyjamas.  
Despite Kuroo’s rage, Bokuto sprung back up in an instant., Bokuto gripped Kuroo by wrists and easily pushed him off, so easily it was almost insulting. Still fuming with anger, Kuroo made another drunken lunge for Bokuto, but this time failing miserably and tripping over his own bags. Kuroo fell with a mighty thud, directly onto his beautiful face.  
“Ohoho you’re feisty one, aren’t you?!” Bokuto proclaimed excitedly through a smile, standing over Kuroo who had just accepted being on the floor at this point. Kuroo was tired, he was so very tired.  
Kuroo rolled over to his side and covered his face with his arm “I’m calling the fucking police” he mumbled with a shaking voice, completely defeated.  
Before Bokuto could respond, both of their attentions were turned to the door which creaked open slowly. Timidly, a head poked through rocking serious bed head and bags under his eyes. Speaking in a very low, monotone voice the visitor claimed while rubbing his eyes:  
“What on is going…I mean…” before the visitor could fix his mistake, Bokuto had leapt from Kuroo’s side and hooked his arm around the dishevelled stranger.  
“AH AKASHI, HOW YA FEELIN!?”  
.“It’s 4am, Bokuto. I feel nothing.”  
Bokuto let out a hearty laugh while Kuroo noticed that Akashi seemed to want to peel away from Bokuto’s touch. He looked very uncomfortable, but he wasn’t about to say anything about it. He kept quiet and bore it, but didn’t respond to Bokuto who was rambling on about something neither of them were paying much attention too. Instead he was looking at Kuroo, somewhat sympathetically, but there was a tinged of something else in his gaze.  
“Are you a first year?” Akashi questioned Kuroo, not breaking his gaze.  
Kuroo slowly sat up and nodded, but before he could extend his answer Bokuto butted in  
“AH SO THAT’S WHY YOU DON’T KNOW ANY BETTER!!” he shouted. Bokuto’s mouth stretched into a grin “Also why you can’t hold your drink” Bokuto added smugly, noticing a trickle of blood trailing from Kuroo’s nose.  
Embarrassed but infuriated, Kuroo wasn’t going to take that sitting down. Smearing the blood off his face on his fore arm- Kuroo stood up and made another move for Bokuto “LISTEN HERE YO-“  
Akashi put his arms between the two of them  
“Enough.” He whispered harshly, showing the first bit of expression since he’d let himself in. Akashi turned his gaze to Kuroo, and inspected his nose bleed. “I have some tissue in my room”  
“YEAH WELL I HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THAT BASTARD!!” Kuroo started up again.  
He was getting emotional now, all he wanted to do was sleep but this guy just wasn’t backing down. What had Kuroo done to deserve this? This dorm was the only good thing about university so far. The party had been a bust, the goodbye had been painful. His previous attempts to kick this guy out of HIS dorm had just been embarrassing.  
“Step outside.” Akashi demanded facing Kuroo, still somehow sounding threatening in his soft voice. Pushing Kuroo around wasn’t that hard when he was drunk, so Akashi was able to persuade him to leave dorm 12 with gentle physical force.  
Once they were in the hallway and the door had closed, Akashi quickly popped in his room and return with a packet of tissue. Delicately dabbing Kuroo’s nose, that sympathetic looked returned to Akashi’s eyes. “This is going to need some ice, follow me to the kitchen.” Akashi stated while slowly lifting Kuroo’s arm over his shoulder. Being led carefully into the kitchen, Kuroo started to calm down and process what had happened. Settling down at the kitchen table, Akashi grabbed some frozen peas from the freezer and handed them to Kuroo before taking the seat opposite him.  
Holding that bag of frozen peas against his face was bliss. The sharp sting of the ice cancelled out the aching of his face, Kuroo took a deep breath. “Thank you Akashi.” He whispered with his head in his hands.  
“It’s no problem…Sorry I don’t know your name.”  
“It’s Kuroo.” He informed him while extending out his hand.  
“Nice to meet you” Akashi said while grasping it firmly.  
Akashi got him a drink of water and placed it in front of him. Smiling, Kuroo downed the whole thing in what he felt like a second, he didn’t realise how much he needed that. Kuroo felt like this was the first time he had sat down all night. Returning to his seat in front of Kuroo, Akashi stared down at the floor. His expression was serious, almost worried. Kuroo thought he was being dramatic- it was a nosebleed, not a severe head injury.  
“Did Bokuto punch you?” Akashi asked calmly but concerned, breaking the silence.  
The question took Kuroo by shock but he answered anyway “Ha, no. I just tripped over my own bags.”  
Kuroo was expecting Akashi to laugh at that, but he just continued looking straight down. “Please understand Kuroo, he’s dangerous.”  
It took Kuroo a while to register what Akashi had just said “that googly-eyed motherfucker?” he asked through a chuckle, remembering Bokuto’s intense brown eyes, the first thing he was met with. “You can’t be serious”  
Akashi’s eyes left the spot on the floor that they had been focusing on for the last few minutes, they met Kuroo’s and he was able to recognise what that tinge in Akashi’s eyes was before. Fear.  
“Hey look…” Kuroo began, now concerned. How much of an asshole was this Bokuto guy? He seemed like a big goof to Kuroo, why was he getting this kinda warning label?  
“I know he seems like a big kid, but back in his first year..”  
Akashi and Kuroo simultaneously flinched at the door being swung open with intense force. Bokuto strolled in, confidence oozing off him while he still wore that smug smile he had when he realised Kuroo’s nose was bleeding. Kuroo hated it. He hated him. Who did this greying teenager think he was? Kuroo had never been forced to have such emotional reaction to one person, every time Kuroo saw Bokuto he was instantly fired up. Was it that smug little grin? Or was his instincts letting him now that he shouldn’t be around this guy?  
“Hey, little drunk I-“  
“I’m fuckin taller than you” Kuroo retorted, completely forgetting about Akashi’s warning despite the seriousness of it. He just couldn’t help himself when he was around this idiot. Kuroo found him so… so irritating. He couldn’t let Bokuto insult him or have the last word. It just wasn’t in Kuroo’s nature, despite how dangerous he was supposed to be. Plus the bastard had the audacity to still be wearing his pyjama shirt, so Kuroo had to fight, on the grounds of principle.  
“I’m actually going to call the campus police” Kuroo continued as he stood up to face Bokuto “because I just want to fucking sleep”  
“Nononono! You can’t do that!!” Bokuto exclaimed while flailing his hands around wildly. See? How could this goober be dangerous?  
“Then give me back MY room!” Kuroo said, stepping up to Bokuto.  
“If you call the campus police, neither of us will get the room!”  
Kuroo scrunched up his nose and tilted his head “…Huh?”  
“Look-“ Bokuto stopped flailing and continued “I know you’re drunk, but you’ve noticed the state of that room right?! If we get the inspectors in, they’ll see it and how busted it is and they’ll relocated BOTH of us so they can fix it! Fixing that dorm is gonna take who knows how long! Do you really wanna risk that?! So we’re gonna have to fix this ourselves.”  
Kuroo’s heart started to beat a little faster at that moment. The sunlight was starting to break through the windows, shining onto Bokuto who stood in front of them. The pink pyjama shirt exposed his arms, and his muscles were so huge they were casting their own shadow. Sobering up, Kuroo now realised that if he were to get in a fight with this guy he would lose his front teeth. Akashi’s warning was still fresh in his mind, and seeing Bokuto through slightly less drunken eyes was a wakeup call. This dude did look dangerous, even if he hadn’t proved to be so yet. Still, Kuroo didn’t really want to jump at the opportunity to test it- but he couldn’t run away from this guy either. There was something about him, this magnetism. Bokuto presence was something that was felt by everyone in the room…For Akashi it made him feel afraid, but for Kuroo it was a feeling he couldn’t quite define. Fear was mixed in there for sure…But the feeling more closely resembled excitement…Ambition…Determination… Bokuto made Kuroo want to fight. Why was Kuroo so happy about that?  
Kuroo snapped out of it and tried to eradicate any sound of fear in his voice “What do you have in mind?” Even though Kuroo knew he wouldn’t stand a chance against this guy, he knew he couldn’t walk away without a fight either.  
“Don’t fight.” Akashi perked up. Kuroo had almost forgotten he was there, he’d been too distracted by Bokuto. “There are other ways to resolve this.” Akashi continued as he stood up, as if he was ready to break up a fight that hadn’t happened yet. “But for now, Kuroo needs rest; you can stay in my room for tonight.”  
So badly Kuroo wanted to argue against that, so badly! Just like he had so badly wanted to leave those two twerps drunk in the bathroom- but he couldn’t. He couldn’t fight against this because now he knew how Akashi felt about Bokuto. Obviously Akashi was uncomfortable around him, and frankly Kuroo didn’t fancy making anymore enemies tonight. Kuroo was sobering up and he could feel all the bruises he collected from that walk to the nurse’s office starting to sting. But Bokuto…Bokuto made him want to fight, he made him want to win…But Akashi…Akashi had been so helpful and fighting would only upset him…  
“ARRGHHH!” Kuroo yelled, frustrated “FINE! BUT-“ Kuroo grabbed Bokuto and yanked his pyjama shirt right off him “I’M TAKING BACK MY PINK KITTY SHIRT!” without even looking at him, he could tell Bokuto was smiling that same stupid smile- but he didn’t care. He marched right up to Akashi room and waited for him to come up and unlock the door. Both Bokuto and Akashi watched Kuroo as he stomped up the stairs like a 5 year old. Bokuto let out a faint snigger.  
“Have you made a new friend Akashi?!” Bokuto asked cheerily, gesturing his head upstairs. Akashi nodded.  
“Heh, so have I.” Bokuto beamed.  
*  
Kuroo woke in the morning feeling like his head was full of rocks, his bones were aching and his muscles felt like they were dying. Sitting up felt like he’d been hit by a truck, his whole body screamed at him. He remembered stumbling into Akashi’s room and passing out right there in the foot of the doorway, even though he’d woken up under and pillow and covered in a blanket. He made a mental note to thank Akashi later. Kuroo inspected himself, he was covered in deep purple and tiny cuts. Grabbing his phone from Akashi’s desk, he flicked on his front camera ignoring the 3 missed calls from mum. Dear god, he was an absolute state. The bags under his eyes were huge and puffy, and too top it all off he’d somehow manage to obtain a black eye. Was that from when he fell on his face? Or from when he was wrestling those two brats?  
Dragging himself out the room and down to the kitchen- he was met with Bokuto and Akashi. “Good morning AKASHI” he emphasised. As if he wanted that other bastard to have a good morning. This had been the worse first day ever, as if those two drunk brats hadn’t been bad enough. All of that could have been resolved if his first sleep away from home had been a good one. But nooo. That grey haired pyjama thief had destroyed any hope of Kuroo turning his night around. He completely obliterated his first night at uni. Kuroo’s prolonged stare of disgust motivated Bokuto to stick his tongue out at Kuroo who in return showed him his middle finger. Bokuto look amused, like he wanted to play. Kuroo looked incredibly pissed off.  
“Good morning” Akashi responded in the same monotone voice. “Now you’re awake I’m going to go back up to the room”  
Kuroo didn’t even get a chance to thank him before he bolted upstairs. “Odd.” Kuroo thought, for Akashi struck him as the kinda guy that would never be intentionally rude. Did he just really fear Bokuto that much?  
Kuroo looked over at Bokuto who was now trying to fit a whole apple in his mouth.  
“…Does Akashi just have some issues he needs to work out?” Kuroo considered. The more and more time he was around Bokuto the more and more Kuroo believed Akashi was just trying to spook him. Bokuto was irritating, but like that annoying kid who won’t stop talking during the movie kind of irritating. Not the group of drunken men who won’t leave the pub kind of irritating.  
“Akashi just told me where we need to go to settle our little disagreement” Bokuto interrupted Kuroo’s train of thought after he had abandoned the apple.  
Kuroo strolled over to the cupboard and got out a box of Frosties he’d place their day before. Messily making a bowl for himself, he plonked down in the chair at the other end of the table. “Well let’s hear it then” Kuroo asserted, trying not to let his excitement show- there was a week before classes started and he wanted an adventure, he know Bokuto could get his blood pumping- even if it was pumping with hatred.  
“There’s a group of boys that live in separate housing, second years- like me and Akashi and th-“  
“Why don’t you fuck right off like those second years and get your own accommodation” Kuroo mumbled through a mouth full of cereal  
“Well Akashi is a transfer student from aboard and I. Well I.. WELL I DON’T NEED TO MOVE IT’S MY DORM”  
Kuroo’s eyes narrowed “It’s cute how you still think that.”  
“AS I WAS SAYING” Bokuto continued, letting that last jab slide as he sensed he probably couldn’t outwit Kuroo now that he was sober. “These guys, they’re like…The best pranksters in the whole school. Absolutely legendary. But they’re rowdy as shit, and they all live together. So in order to avoid serious fights… they’ve developed a little system.”  
Kuroo’s crunches slowed “…Go on” he urged  
“It’s a system of fighting but without fists. Prank vs. prank, dares against dares. They know this whole school inside out. They know the most difficult, complex and hilarious stunts to pull. Akashi’s friends went to them when they were arguing about rent. Best outta 3, whoever wins is the undeniable champion. Winner takes all”  
Kuroo could feel his grin stretch across his face. Not only would this be an adventure, this is a fight he knew he could win. He’d known trouble his whole life, it was his stalker. It followed him throughout school, home life… romance. Now it could finally be his friend and do some good. It could win him back his sweet paradise 12.  
“No need to move my stuff then” Kuroo declared as he nearly smashed his empty bowl on the table. He was getting hyped and he couldn’t hide it anymore  
Bokuto let out that same hearty laugh “Heheheheh fine by me, you have good taste in pyjamas”  
Kuroo’s eyes narrowed again as he froze in his tracks. How dare he. “Oh… It’s on.” He uttered breathlessly.  
“On like Donkey Kong.” Bokuto replied, a little too intensely.  
“Now you’ve just gone and embarrassed yourself, thanks for doing my job for me dipshit”  
Bokuto scrunched his nose and smiled but remained quiet. His hunch about Kuroo’s banter was right. Poor Bokuto was about as sharp as a brick when it came to quick but devastating comebacks, he had no chance against Kuroo in a battle of wits.  
Kuroo got up from the table and walk over to the sink, Bokuto’s eyes followed him. This boy was absolutely covered in bruises, still shirtless from the night before- his entire back was exposed. Staring at it intently, Bokuto could almost count the freckles that where dotted all over him, from the soft curve in his spine to Kuroo’s broad and powerful looking shoulder blades. His freckles against the deep, dark colours of his bruises reminded Bokuto of constellations. The few freckles scattered under his right shoulder blade were almost identical to the Virgo zodiac. Funny, that was his star sign.  
Bokuto’s train of thought was interrupted when the back he was studying turned around. Seems that Kuroo had been talking to him this whole time.  
“Well?” Kuroo urged for the answer to a question Bokuto hadn’t listened too.  
“Well…we..” Bokuto stumbled in stringing a sentence together. He really wasn’t a quick thinker.  
“How are we gonna get there?? And when are we gonna go?” Kuroo inquired further, seeming to become and more agitated. “I want to be done with your sorry ass as soon as possible” he added turning back to the sink to finish washing the dishes  
“Well I can drive up there but you’ll have to drag YOUR sorry ass there by yourself” Bokuto grinned. He was proud of that one.  
“Are you shitting me? You caused this trouble- you’re taking me!”  
“Well maybe I could take you iF YOU WERE READY TO LEAVE RIGHT NOW” Bokuto howled as he shot up from his seat, snatched his shoes from the corner and desperately tried to force his trainers on his feet. Fuck the laces!  
“ARE YOU KIDDING ME!? WE’RE BOTH IN OUR BOXERS YOU IDIOT!” Kuroo argued, but he too had simultaneously shot up, abandoned the dishes and was now frantically searching for his shoes. Bokuto’s energy was contagious.  
Kuroo didn’t get a reply because Bokuto had already bolted down the hallway “for fucks sake!” Kuroo whispered angrily has he followed him, bare foot and wearing nothing but his knickers.  
Busting through the door, he saw Bokuto sitting in a small red car hysterically fumbling with his keys.  
“Target acquired” Kuroo muttered before booking it as fast as all fuck towards Bokuto  
Bokuto caught a glimpse of the oncoming Kuroo, and he could feel his heart pounding against his chest. The tension was rising as Bokuto couldn’t find his fucking car keys, all these cute key chains now seemed like a mistake. Kuroo’s screaming now getting louder and louder, Bokuto finally managed to find the right key and shove it hurriedly into the ignition. The engine roared to life, but Bokuto felt no relief yet- “The doors!” he realised in a panic. Bokuto had to lock the doors or-  
“GOT YOU MOTHERFUCK!” Kuroo exclaimed as the door flew open and Kuroo dived in the backseat. Kuroo bounced off and landed in the leg space. Bokuto cackled as Kuroo groaned “Just fucking drive.”  
Bokuto waited for Kuroo to try and adjust himself before slamming his foot down on pedal, sending Kuroo flying back down into the leg space. There was a moment of silence before a very muffled “I will end your fucking life” emerged from the back seat.  
Bokuto laughed “This Kuroo kid is hilarious!” he thought to himself. No one had been able to keep up with Bokuto’s pace before, and Bokuto was loving every minute of it. Meanwhile, Kuroo was suspecting this whole struggle had landed him a few new bruises.  
Finally sitting up right in the seat, Kuroo studied the car. It was oddly tidy… it unsettled him. This Bokuto guy was a pig, he shouldn't be able to see the floor. He definitely saw Bokuto use the keys right? This wasn’t hotwired?  
Before Kuroo could press the issue any further, Bokuto interrupted with his usual booming voice “OFF TO BLACKHEART HILL WE GO!” He exclaimed excitedly.  
“Blackheart Hill?” Kuroo scoffed “Are these guys Batman’s nemesis or some shit?”  
“Oh, these guys would DESTORY Batman. No problem.” Bokuto replied through that same stupid smile as he forced his foot down harder on the pedal. “These guys are gonna be so much fun.”  
Kuroo grinned as he thought to himself “Who could be more fun than you?”


	3. All I Ask

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bokuto and Kuroo bond over Adele before meeting with the notorious, reckless and merciless pranksters on Blackheart Hill...

Kuroo lay across the back seat with his arms over his head, realising just how shattered he still was from the night before. He hadn’t exactly gotten and good sleep on Akashi’s floor, and Bokuto’s energy was hard to compete with. This quest for Paradise 12 had come upon Kuroo so suddenly he was still processing the fact that he was basically in a stranger’s car, heading to an unknown location in nothing but his boxers… and it was only his second day for fucks sake. Lord, what was this boy putting him through? Kuroo tried to comprehend his situation but couldn’t think straight with the constant mess of adverts, snippets of songs and static that emerged from the radio Bokuto was fiddling with. Kuroo let out an exasperated sigh and covered both eyes with his hands and he grew more and more agitated with Bokuto.  
“Oh my god can you just pick a station!?” Kuroo snapped, suddenly jerking upright  
“I need to pick the perfect song in order to get HYPED!” Bokuto roared back, barely keeping his eyes on the road.  
“You mean you aren’t hyped right now?! Holy shit how much energy can one fucker have?” Kuroo questioned while shuffling to face Bokuto “Just go to the rock station” he argued while reaching out for the radio dial, but his hand was promptly slapped away. Kuroo was taken aback.  
“Rock?! Get with the times old man!” Bokuto sneered while continuing to shift through static.  
“Um excuse yourself?” Kuroo cautioned whilst clambering into the front seat “I ain’t listening to some processed auto-tuned shit!” he stated firmly while reaching for the dial again. “And DON’T touch me with your grubby hands again or I’l-“  
Before Kuroo couldn’t even finish this threat, Bokuto had once again slapped his hand away and was now excitedly glancing between the road and the radio. Kuroo had never encountered this type of fearlessness in his life. Back home Kuroo’s height and muscular build were enough for people to listen; but here was this boy who was willing to go against just about anyone. Although Kuroo was younger than him, he was still taller, and yes even though he knew Bokuto would beat him in a physical fight- Kuroo couldn’t quiet process the boldness of this guy. “I mean, at least have the politeness to LISTEN to my threat” Kuroo thought, somewhat irritated, somewhat impressed.  
“Wait shut up and let me listen!” Bokuto exclaimed grinning, trying to hone in on one particular station. It seemed very delicate work, for the heavy bass and beats of the song could barely be hard through the static.  
Bokuto’s excited had snapped Kuroo out of his train of thought just before Bokuto had successfully found the station. Kuroo saw his opportunity to piss him off and took it. Kuroo slapped his hand away, jogging Bokuto and making him lose the station he was so desperately searching for “Not nice is it!” Kuroo argued through a grin. It was like poking a wild beast, Kuroo knew this guy had the potential be harmful, but it was so hard not to get involved when he was so obviously being invited to play. There was nothing Kuroo loved more than danger and the chance to piss someone off, and this Bokuto guy was a 2 in 1.  
“ARRGH I ALMOST HAD IT!” Bokuto boomed while reaching out for the dial again, seizing the opportunity to beat Bokuto at something- Kuroo suddenly grabbed the dial, twisting it to the rock station.  
“HEY HEY HEY WHATCHA THINK YOU’RE DOING?!” Bokuto bellowed, the car swerving as he swooped in on the dial  
“WATCH THE ROAD!” Kuroo yelled hitting Bokuto’s side with his free hand, the sounds of the radio were now joined by the beeping horns of the other cars of the road  
“WELL THEN LET GO OF THE DIAL KUROO!” Bokuto demanded, although his smile was getting wider and wider  
“NEVER.” Kuroo retorted back instantly, now trying to squeezing both his hands on the dial.  
The boys fighting became inaudible yelling, Bokuto barely keeping his eyes on the road continued to bicker with Kuroo, somehow avoiding any serious damage to the car or the two fighting passengers. Both Kuroo and Bokuto were now resorting to petty violence; flicking, pinching and slapping each other as if they were in primary school. Bokuto was defending himself surprisingly well with one hand, Kuroo had to mentally remind himself to stop smiling. He couldn’t be impressed with this asswipe, this was a serious fight that he had to win.  
Both of them fearing for their lives but neither of them letting go of the dial, the boys were shouting things at each other neither of them could understand. The radio had been constantly assaulted, forcing the volume of the adverts, songs and static to alter continuously from its highest setting to its lowest, until one familiar note was heard…  
“WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAIT!” screeched Bokuto at his highest volume yet. Kuroo was taken aback, staring astonished at Bokuto, but still grasping hold of the radio dial.  
After a extremely brief moment of peace, Bokuto continued “Was that Adele?”  
Both boys locked eyes, and in that moment- a truce was wordlessly conceived. Kuroo slowly removed his hand from the dial and Bokuto delicately turned it up. The song had just started.  
“You know, if we do this, we gotta do this right.” Kuroo said solemnly.  
Bokuto, being the most collected Kuroo has ever seen him, nodded gravely and increased the volume to its highest setting.  
Absolutely 100% going for it, both boys belted out the lyrics with all their hearts, but both Kuroo and Bokuto knew that the chorus was when they had to pull out all the stops.  
“LOOK DON’T… GET ME WRONG I KNOW....” Kuroo clenched his fists while Bokuto dramatically gestured to his imaginary crowd of millions. “THERE IS NO TOMOORROOOWWW” missing the high notes completely, it didn’t stop either of the boys from shouting the lyrics at full volume. The car pulled into traffic so Bokuto knew he could pull out all the stops.  
“ALL I ASK…” As if they had practiced this routine, both boys completely in sync, turned to face each other, fiercely gazing into each other’s eyes “IF THIS IS MY LAST NIGHT WITH YOOOOOOUU” they reached out their arms dramatically, before grabbing onto one another to emphasis the next lyrics “HOLD MY LIKE MY MOORE THAN JUST A FRIEEENDD.” Bokuto clasped his hands around Kuroo’s face and Kuroo just went with it. Through Adele all things were possible.  
Slowly removing Bokuto’s hands from his face and placing them against his bare chest they continued on with the song. Bokuto could feel his heart beating fast. “GIVE ME A MEMORRRY I CAN USSEEEE” Releasing Bokuto’s hands from his chest, Kuroo stretched out so there was distance between them, even though they were still both holding on tightly to each other.  
“TAKE ME BY THE HAND OOO WE DO WHAT LOVERS DOO” dramatically letting go of one another just to add the theatrical impact for the last lines, both of them sang to the best of their ability “it matters how this ends….” The boys soften their voices for the final lyrics “Cos what if I never looooooooooooooooove…. Again”  
There was an odd silence in the car after the song finished. Had Kuroo honestly just done that? “Damn Adele and her emotional ass music. Making me do stupid things.” Kuroo thought bitterly to himself. He had just poured his heart and soul into a duet with the bastard that was trying to steal his room! The guy that has been continuously fucking up his university life! Kuroo turned away from Bokuto, really feeling the weight of that silence now for it was allowing him to understand how much he had just shattered his own pride,  
Bokuto on the other hand was beaming; he was fidgeting in his seat as if he had just bested Kuroo somehow. Still waiting in traffic, Bokuto punched Kuroo on the shoulder playfully, Kuroo shot him a glare. “That never happened.” Kuroo stated in a stern yet somewhat desperate sounding tone.  
“OH. IT HAPPENED.” Bokuto jeered. “IT HAPPENED AND IT WAS AMAZING.”  
Kuroo had to turn to look out the window so Bokuto wouldn’t see his smile. However, despite his best efforts, Bokuto managed to catch it. With Kuroo gazing out the window and the car still in traffic, Bokuto studied Kuroo. He could see the slight movement in his shoulder blades as he took steady breathes, the light from the sun shone brilliantly off his jet black hair which curled around his neck. It looked so soft. Bokuto looked down at his own hands that had been on Kuroo’s chest only moments ago. He was only now feeling the embarrassment. A lifetime of fighting and recklessness had left Bokuto with rough hands, each of them littered with tiny scars and fresh cuts- but Kuroo’s chest had been so soft. Had Kuroo noticed how damaged his hands were? Bokuto clenched his hands into fists and studied them. Even if he only touched it for a moment, it had made him view Kuroo in a more delicate light. He had to be more carefully when touching Kuroo, he didn’t want to hurt him.  
Kuroo’s voice dragged Bokuto out of his train of thought “Dude, the traffic’s moving.” Kuroo urged.  
“Oh, right-“ Bokuto fumbled with the controls before driving off. Kuroo must have detected the uneasiness in his voice as he turned around to face Bokuto. The sun was now illuminating his eyes, and what Bokuto believed to be a dark brown before was now a bright, dazzling amber. “You okay? You’re not gonna crash the car are you?”  
Kuroo’s eyes had stunned Bokuto, which further worried Kuroo because this bastard never shuts up. “No no” Bokuto replied through a faint chuckle, attempting to gather himself by turning back to face the road “We’re nearly there.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay guys, but my A2 history coursework is completely fucking me over right now!! This is sorta a filler chapter before the story progresses, I just didn't want you guys to go a week without anything and I didn't wanna half arse and rush thru the real chapter for the sake of getting it done, ya know? Next friday things will resume as normal and we'll get to meet the Beasts of Blackheart Hill (can you guess who? hehe) Anyways, I hope you enjoy this little snippet! Thank you for reading <3


	4. Beasts of Blackheart Hill

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Finally reaching Blackheart Hill, Kuroo instantly falls in love with the house and the idea of the adventures he could have there. However, the occupants of are not what Kuroo expects and things begin to go down hill. The fun and games end when they reveal a devastating detail about Bokuto's past which could change the course of their relationship... Who should Kuroo believe? Who can he trust? And how will it effect his future?

Kuroo kept his eyes focused on the world passing by. Bokuto said they were nearing their destination so had slowed down in order to figure out their surroundings. Surprisingly, the closer and closer they seemed to get to their destination the more the outside grew in beauty. It was captivating, the sky was almost concealed by the abundance trees whose branches stretched upwards, dominating the clouds and forcing the sun to burst through their leaves in order to scatter onto the ground below. All the trees now held a fantastic green colour, but a seemingly infinite sea of now dirty white petals pooled into every tiny crevice and cranny the lane had to offer. The slight wind raised a collection of petals from their resting place and delicately lifted them across the sky; they danced across the road only to gently sprinkle over the gardens on the other side. Kuroo’s eyes followed them on their journey, being somewhat entranced by their movements.  
“They’re from the cherry trees.” Bokuto announced, cottoning on to Kuroo’s fascination  
“Really I thought they were from a fairy’s ass.” Kuroo said abruptly, still pissed off with himself for getting carried away with their duet only moments before.  
Before Bokuto could let out his bellowing laugh that Kuroo’s sass had just caused, he recognised a familiar building.  
“AAAAHHHHH!!” he called out, being too excited to properly form a sentence. Excitedly and repeatedly Bokuto pointing at the house situated on the edge of the street.  
Even without Bokuto’s aggressive screeching, Kuroo would have been drawn to the building. It seemed misplaced in the quiet neighbourhood. Even at first glance Kuroo could tell that at least two windows had been smashed and hurriedly covered with paper. The lawn was unkempt. The white petals completely littered the garden and the flowers grew wild and free, completely engulfing the numerous beer cans that had been left there for fuck knows how long. There was unmistakable marks in the grass of a pool that had properly been left out to long after summer.  
“It’s….” Kuroo began slowly, still struggling to take in this immense presence the house emitted.  
Bokuto’s smile that he always seemed to wear when he was around Kuroo faded. He seemed uneasy… what was it Akashi had said to him “Not everybody thinks like you”? Bokuto thought this place looked like an adventure, somewhere to cause trouble, somewhere to have fun. But slowly Bokuto was realising that not everyone would call that fun, he didn’t want Kuroo to be scared and he didn’t want to drive him away like he seemed to do with everyone else. How would he approach this without looking like he was making fun of Kuroo? Should he just drive off and make up an excuse later? Bokuto hated this, he felt his anxiety growing wild  
“I don’t want to screw this up I don’t want to screw this up…” that single thought dominated Bokuto’s mind. Racking his very over worked brain for an answer, Kuroo finally finished his sentence  
“Perfect” he said breathlessly.  
Bokuto’s grin came right back, and the anxiety fell away.  
“Look at it! How much awesome shit has happened in that house?!” Kuroo continued, sounding more and more like a kid on Christmas morning  
“SO MANY AWESOME THINGS!!” Shouted Bokuto, his energy completely regaining itself in an instant.  
“Another awesome thing is about to happen in that house…” Kuroo said smugly through a sinister smile Bokuto arched his eyebrows in curiosity  
“Oh ho ho, and what is that?” Bokuto asked matching Kuroo’s mischievous tone  
“It’s that I am about to AWESOMELY KICK YOUR ASS” Kuroo bolted out the car before he even finished that sentence, Bokuto’s reflexes were quick and he was only seconds behind.  
Both shot up to the front door and bashed on it with fury. Incoherent screams about someone being an asshole and the other being a motherfucker were all that could be heard from the other side. The insults halted as the door swung open to reveal a boy with a shaven head and an ugly expression.  
“Who the fuck do you two-” the harsh voice ended abruptly to be replaced with an amused one “why the fuck are you BOTH in your underwear?!” The baldy questioned them while giggling.  
Kuroo’s head shot down. “Shit.” He thought, he had gotten so carried away.  
However, Bokuto was not phased at all and stood proudly with his arms crossed. “WE’RE HERE TO SETTLE SOMETHING” Bokuto shouted over the baldy’s giggles that had now turned into a gasping-for-air kinda laugh. He was laughing so much he looked like he was suffering. He was holding his side and propping himself against the door frame.  
The sound of footsteps came from the stair case as a smaller boy appeared. His brown hair was sticking up as if he’d been struck by lightning, with a small tuft in the front dyed bleach blond. He looked like he’d just gotten out of bed  
“Oi Ryu what’s all th-” his tired and muffled tone stopped. Kuroo expected him to join in laughing with the bald guy, yet his whole expression had changed. This little guy somehow looked like big trouble. He dragged his friend in by the arm and slammed the door in their faces.  
“What the shit?” Kuroo uttered “you’re not that ugly” he said while looking overly sympathetic to Bokuto, patting him on the back patronisingly. Kuroo expected Bokuto to make a retort of some kind, or at least scream which was his usually reaction to anything Kuroo does, but instead he looked a bit… distant. Nothing like himself anyway, he wasn’t buzzing or fidgeting.. if Kuroo didn’t know any better he’d say it was focus. What could be so important that it would cause this man-child to focus?  
Kuroo took advantage of the silence and tried to hone in on whatever was distracting Bokuto. The muffled voices came through the door but Kuroo could only make out bits, not the whole conversation  
“Are you serious? And he wasn’t expelled?”  
They got quieter  
“…yeah he’s pretty beat up”  
The door swung open, startling both of the strays left on the doorstep, yet their eyes were set only on Kuroo. They grabbed his arm and dragged him inside before Bokuto could react. That quick. Before Kuroo could even regained his balanced after being pulled in he was already being questioned  
“How’d you get those bruises, fresher?” The bald one urged in a menacing tone, pulling an ugly face to match.  
“…Wha?” Kuroo had forgotten himself again. He was half naked, therefore he bruises from the night before were exposed. Even if he was clothed, the shiner he had gotten from falling flat on his face would have been in clear indicator that he was in a bad way.  
“You’re pretty beat up, did Bokuto do that to you?” The small fry asked sternly, but with a hint of concern  
“Uh, fuck no?” He answered, a bit insulted that both of them assumed he had lost the fight. How did they even know that googly-eyed motherfuckers name anyway?  
The two second-years side eyed each other as if they doubted Kuroo’s reply.  
“No seriously, I got all-a-this” Kuroo affirmed while gesturing around his whole body “helping two freshers who were completely fucked to the nurse last night, those bastards put up a fight.”  
The second years exchanged glances again, but this time in more excited kind of way, as if they’d reached the same epiphany.  
“What’d they look like?” the shorty questioned through a smirk, grabbing onto the bald one’s arm as if he was anticipating his favourite punch line.  
“I don’t know… one short and ginger.. one dark and grumpy?”  
They instantly burst out laughing. “Who knew Scooby and Scrappy would cause so much damage?!” Shorty grabbed onto the baldy for support as he continued to crack up. “I told you these freshers were tough, look at the damage they’ve done to that poor innocent tree!” Shorty cackled as he wiped a tear from his eye.  
“Oi! Hinata, Kageyama get your asses down here!” Baldy cried out to the top of the stairs.  
Kuroo was just stood utterly confused as the sound of a door creaking open could be heard. From the top of the stairs emerged the midget ginger and the grumpy bastard.  
“Are those the two bastards you helped last night?” Shorty teased through a giggle  
“YOU TWO!” Kuroo roared while pointing, the ginger one instantly shot down the stairs and hid behind the bald one. The grumpy one didn’t react at all and stood still  
“You wanna fight? Huh? HUH?” The ginger one exclaimed, not looking very intimidating as he grabbed onto his friends arm of dear life, cowering behind him. The ginger one looked Kuroo up and down “YOU’RE THE ONE THAT HELP US LAST NIGHT!!” He squealed gleefully before whispering in the Baldy’s ear “but why is he naked?”  
Before Kuroo could reply, the shorty perked up “Alright everybody shut the fuck up-“  
He had everybody’s attention instantly, Kuroo could read the room and tell now was not the time to interject and get them back for that tree comment he had let so mercifully slip by.  
“I’m Noya, that’s Tanaka-“ He announced gesturing to the baldy “your damsel in distress behind him is Hinata, and the one at the top of the stairs is Kageyama. Now…” Noya paused and took a deep breath “What the fuck are you wanting?”  
“Okay first of all my names Kuroo thanks for asking-“ Kuroo asserted with plenty of attitude “and secondly I need you to settle my beef with the shitstick you’ve left outside”  
Again the atmosphere changed between the two second years. They exchanged worried glances, they knew something Kuroo didn’t. Kuroo remembered Akashi’s words “he’s dangerous”  
“You know that’s Bokuto Koutarou… right?” Noya asked so sternly it was beginning to sound like an interrogation.  
“Yeah, so?” Kuroo asked, sounding more defensive than he intended  
“So you think we want a fucking criminal hanging around our place?” Tanaka demanded aggressively  
“What?”  
*  
Bokuto sat on the step outside, trying to clear his head. He was so anxious, he hated being left alone like this. He already knew exactly what those guys were questioning Kuroo about.  
Bokuto smashed his head into his hands. It had been so long since he had spoken to someone who wasn’t afraid of him. Bokuto grew more and more frustrated, he ran his hands through his hair and grasped it as he began to become restless. The waiting was killing him, so many things could be going on in there. His leg began to twitch. He could hear his heart thumping against his chest.  
“What if Kuroo stops talking to me?” that sudden thought scared Bokuto. He’d only known Kuroo for a day but already he’d had so much fun. Kuroo had actually spoke to him! And better yet, he had teased him! Kuroo treated him like everybody else! No fear, no secret agenda! Kuroo was so… so genuine! Akashi was the closest thing Bokuto had to a friend in a long time, but compared to Kuroo it was now clear to him that Akashi was like the rest. He was afraid of Bokuto. His conversations with Akashi would just be what Bokuto wanted to hear to order for Akashi to get away from him as quick as possible. Bokuto couldn’t blame him though, after everything he did in his first year…  
Bokuto stood up and began to pace around “how can I fix this?” He didn’t’ want to screw up anymore, he’d done enough of that in his first year to last a to last a lifetime. “How can I get Kuroo to stay?” he wondered desperately.  
*  
“You’ve got to be shitting me, that grey haired fool?” Kuroo pressed half laughing “It’s gotta be accidental vandalism or some fuckery right?”  
“Try being a member of REA.” Tanaka spat back  
“…REA?” Kuroo echoed  
Kuroo had heard that name before. Just about everybody had. It’s a name that filled you with fear, it’s a name everybody had a horror story connected too. Kuroo’s mind flashed back to the days in the with Kenma in the foster home, as if like a disease- one by one- their friends would be recruited and snatched away by members of the REA.  
REA stood for ‘Ruina Est Angeli’. They were a notorious street gang with a bad reputation which stretched into every corner of the globe. When he was younger they’d come for the foster kids, kids nobody really kept track off, to do small jobs for them like running messages or carrying drugs. But lord, Kuroo knew they could do a lot worse. Sometimes it would be because someone snitched, sometimes it would be because someone looked at them funny. They were ruthless, merciless, soulless… Kuroo couldn’t believe what he was hearing. This had to be a mistake.  
Kuroo’s voice broke the heavy silence that had come over the room with the simple mention of REA “that can’t be right.” He stated  
In times like this, he thought of his little brother. “Always take time to think” that’s what Kenma would say.  
“No, it can’t be right-“ Kuroo reaffirmed “Think about it guys, if he’s a member of REA, how the fuck is he still allowed in school? How is he not expelled?”  
All eyes turned to Noya for the answer “Well honestly I don’t know, but are you willing to take the risk?”  
“Me?” Kuroo probed “What risk am I taking exactly?”  
“Look,” Noya began “Obviously, whether you like it or not, you’re a kind dude. And we owe you one for looking after these shits-“  
“Noya…” Tanaka interrupted, as if he was concerned were his friend was going with this.  
“Trust me Bro” Noya reassured him. Tanaka made a distorted face, but kept quiet.  
“As I was saying, we owe you- so if you really want us to settle this… We will- BUT… If he is a member of REA, think about who you’re putting in danger with having him around. It’s not just you anymore if you do this… You gotta take full responsibility for anything that thug does, and here on Blackheart Hill, if anything happens to our boys….”  
The atmosphere in the room dropped again, Kuroo felt like all the warmth had been sucked out of the room  
“We’ll eat you alive” Tanaka ended the sentence in a sinister tone.  
That struck Kuroo with more fear than he’d like to admit. Kuroo looked around at the boys, his fellow freshers. God they looked so young, they reminded him of Kenma. Kenma’s words echoed in Kuroo’s mind once more “always take time to think.” So, Kuroo thought. Kuroo assessed this rationally. There was no way the school would let a known member of a violent gang just be around campus. Bokuto hadn’t been arrested; he didn’t have a parole officer… He’d probably just gotten into a fight in the beginning of the year, and the rumours had blew up in his face. The fear attached to the REA had made it too risky not to believe it, because if you disrespect a member of REA it will be the last thing you do before you die a very painful death. Kuroo considered all of this, and there’s no way these guys would be in danger from being around Bokuto. He’d only been with the guy a day but he just knew there was no way that Bokuto would ever hurt him, he’d already passed up too many opportunities to do so. Kuroo was aware that he was a little shit.  
“So do we have a deal?” Noya asked extending out his hand  
“We have a deal.” Kuroo answered, firmly taking his hand and shaking it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! I know this chapter is ending at a weird place but I have work tomorrow and it's getting on, sorry to leave you dudes in a weird place but I promise I will make up for it in the next chapter! Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed! xx


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